Moving away from home to a new country can be a bittersweet experience for most of the people. We often fall to miss our home, family, home country, friends and our lifestyle. It brings various emotions like excitement, anxiety,nervousness and home sickness. This is natural process that every human goes through. Its entirely normal and there are ways to overcome these feelings. These tips will help us overcome homesickness by immersing our self in university life and the Australian Culture.

Attend Orientation week (also called as the ‘O Week’ in Australia)

If you are an international student and You have plans to attend the university in Australia, it is one of the most important steps to attend the orientation program of the university.

Universities in Australia have a full planed program to help us settle in, where we can find out information about our new on campus home, explore the entire campus, meet new people and meet faculty members.Australian university have a welcome program where we can connect whit ex- students, Facultymembers and make new friends at the university through small and relaxed events. This gives us an assurance to live in a country where there are other people sailing in the same boat as yourself.

Keeping your self busy throughout: ‘GO SIGHTSEEING’

The best way to deal with certain emotions such as home sickness is to keep yourself occupied. You are most likely to feel homesick when you are at home all by your self than when you are busy doing things that you enjoy. One of the best ways to keep your self occupied is to, meet new people, make new friends and engage your self in certain activities that you enjoy, such as cooking your self your favorite meal, reading a book, going outside for a walk or go sightseeing with friends and trying to visit places to take in the Australian culture.You can start by visiting well-known locations which make Australia famous. Make your self a list of all the places you well want to visit while you are in Australia. this will keep you motivated and you well have less time to miss home.

Communication or keeping in touch with Home:

Keep in touch with home if you are feeling homesick. One phone call or Skype chat with a loved one well help bridge the distance and can provide you with a great source of comfort. Try and find ways to connect while you are exploring the city rather than staying home. This will help you stay connected as well help you pass time.Just set a reasonable limit on the communication- if you are in constant touch it will make it harder for you to focus on the things happening around you. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter can also be a casual source of communication- it ensures that you are not missing out on anything going on back home.

Socializing:

Firstly focus on your main goal i,e ‘Studying’ and attending lectures, going to the university regularly. This will keep you pretty much occupied always and well not give you time to over think. During your free time participate in events, join clubs (such as a cooking club or a sports club) which gives you opportunity to meet people with similar interests. Joining an international student society gives you access to a good support network, it helps you meet people who feel the same kind of emotions as you and are likely to be missing home just the way you are. This is one of the good ways to keep yourself occupied during the day.

Communicating with Higher Authorities

If talking to your family members and friends Isn’t enough then don’t hesitate to ask for professional help from the higher educational authorities. They understand the pressures that we as international students go through and they will guide us to certain support services such as counselling and mentoring programs. they have counselling sessions which help us get through with the initial stage which everyone state is the toughest to cross. the more you come out of your comfort zone the better you will feel about your own self. the mentoring programs help you gain self confidence which in turn help you crack the tough nut.